Girl who fought for lung transplant now awake

Saturday, June 22, 2013

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A spokeswoman for the family of a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl who underwent a double-lung transplant after a national debate over the process of getting the organs says the girl has awakened from a medically-induced coma and is communicating by nodding.

Tracy Simon says Sarah Murnaghan was awake Friday and responding to questions by nodding to indicate yes or no. Two days earlier, she was moved from a heavy-duty breathing machine to a traditional ventilator.

Sarah, of Newtown Square, suffers from severe cystic fibrosis. She underwent a six-hour operation after a judge intervened and gave her a chance at the list of organs from adult donors, not just child donors.

Simon says Sarah's family is optimistic with her progress, but Sarah is frustrated because a tube is preventing her from talking.